The eye of Ra, a powerful ancient Egyptian symbol with a deep meaning
When we talk about myths, legends and ancient symbols, we have to be very careful how the information is read, since some of the ancient religious symbols are used more than once but have different purposes.
This holds true for the Eye of Horus and the Eye of Ra, basically, they are the same symbol, but they have different purposes behind them. The eye of Horus was seen more as a protective spirit, while Ra had different attributes attributed to him.
Ra eye mythology
When ancient gods have symbols attached to their name, it is because ancient worshipers view their god in certain ways. Unlike other Egyptian gods, Ra began as a true pharaoh. Exactly where he fits into the different Egyptian rulers is unknown and he may have been one of the original rulers of Egypt.
[su_quote]The Egyptian sun god Ra was said to sail his boat across the sky during the day and transport it back to the underworld at night. [/su_quote]
There is a myth that says that the human Ra was old and very weak and because he was vulnerable, his people began to ignore his laws and instructions. He sent his daughter, the eye of Ra in the form of a lion, to punish his people. The eye became angry and destroyed humanity. The gods feared that the eye would kill all humans. Ra used red beer to drunk his eyes and passed out. Then the eye became calm again and returned to Ra.
Another myth says that he has the eye of Ra to obtain information, sometimes that purpose is used in conjunction with the previous one and he administers his from justice with the information collected by his eye.
A more benign purpose for the eye can be seen when Ra acts as a loving father and sends his eye to search for his two lost sons.
Difference between the eye of Horus and the eye of Ra
There is a way to determine the difference between the eye of Horus and the eye of Ra. One main difference is that Horus's iris eye is blue. The Eye of Ra uses red to color its eye.
The eye of Horus is a peaceful and protective force, while the eye of Ra is a protective force that uses violence and destruction. The eye of Ra symbolizes the protection that comes from power, violence and fury, while the eye of Horus symbolizes regeneration, healing and divine protection from the gods.
The difference is that the eye of Ra is drawn as a right eye, while the eye of Horus is drawn as the left eye of Horus.
Another representation of the eye of Ra is the symbol of a cobra wrapped around a solar disk. Although there is a problem with this symbol and that is that it is also used to represent another goddess. She also has a relationship with the eye as her symbol.
Power of the Eye of Ra
The eye is represented in amulets capable of repelling all negative energy and restoring harmony. That is why the pharaohs used them to defend themselves from any element or enemy that tried to destabilize their government.
You have to be careful when invoking its energy, because it can get out of control and become very violent. The amulets were painted with a dark red color and also function to protect against evil entities or spells and attract good health.
How the eye of Ra came about
How the eye of Ra emerged is also due to a myth. When Ra's sons were lost, he sent his eye to search for them. During the absence of Ra's original eye, another grew. When the first eye successfully returned with the children, he became jealous and very upset.
To solve his problem, Ra simply appeased the first eye by turning it into an uraeus and placing it above the other eyes on his forehead. A final representation of the eye of Ra is seen in the form of a cat.
This cat was often used to protect Ra from a snake called Apep. This representation can also be confusing since the cat is linked to at least 7 other Egyptian gods.
Eye of Ra symbol
Many people believe that the Egyptians symbolized the Eye of Ra with the same image that used to symbolize the Eye of Horus. Some scholars think that the solar disk surrounded by two uraeus cobras was the Egyptian symbol of the Eye of Ra. The Egyptians saw several goddesses as personifications of this symbol, including Bastet, Hathor, Mut, and Wadjet.
Meaning of the eye of Ra
The eye of Ra represented the sun for the Egyptians. It was often associated with the destructive power of the sun, but the Egyptians also used it to protect buildings and themselves. The eye of Ra was a symbol of royal authority.
The eye of Ra was painted on amulets. It had protective power for the Egyptian pharaohs, perhaps as a type of ancient weapon.